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I recently decided to learn how to repair, regulate and tune pianos. I read as much as I could from the piano books I found in my library, and managed to find a Schilling baby grand piano,(manufactured in New York), located about 1 hour, 20 minutes from my home. It was for free, and I had it moved for $350.00. (The thing weighs about 600lbs.) The mover, who is also a technician, told me its a good beginner piano to learn to repair and tune, and was worth moving to my home. Before it was moved, I went to look at it, and it seemed to be in good shape. I was told by the owner, who was moving to Florida, that it was manufactured in 1931, and this has been verified by its serial number, on the web (although I never printed it out and the info is now lost). The strings are original. The soundboard has no visible cracks in it, and the bridges seem to be fine. The volume is fine. It needs a good cleaning, the case needs to be refinished, and two of the three pedals (the middle-sostunato and the piano pedals)need to be repaired. But hey, it was free, and I picked it up to learn how to regulate, tune and repair pianos. It is badly out of tune, but all the keys work, even if the ivorys have to be replaced.I do not know anything about the piano, although the owner told me he would e-mail me whatever info he could find from its original owner (his mother)when he gets back from a trip to Florida.

Does anyone know anything about Schilling Baby Grand Pianos? I have not been able to find anything out about the manufacturer from any of the books I have seen. The serial number is 150131. Can anyone verify its manufacture date?What kind of quality did the manufacturer employ in making these pianos. Where was its manufacturing plant? Who was the owner of the manufacturing company?

I own another baby grand, a Sohmer & Co., and have learned a lot about its manufacturer and about the piano itself. It makes owning the piano that much more fun. I hope to do the same on the Schilling Piano, learn on it, fix it up in my spare time, and then sell it to some young beginner's parents for the cost of what it took to move and repair it, plus a small amount for my perseverence. Any knowledgable response will be appreciated.

srg25, I too am in the process of repairing my old piano, and am reading Arthur Reblitz's book 'Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding' which I recomend. Reblitz recomends (if I remember correctly) that beginners start with a "trash" piano, so mistakes will not ruin a good quality piano. I agree. An old upright or console might be better to practice on first. If your grand is a good quality piano, I am sure you would like to do it right the first time. Of course, if all you are doing is minor repairs, I say go for it. But if you are planning a major rebuild, practice on trash first. The 'Pierce Piano Atlas' is a must have if you plan on dealing with many pianos, as it has a wealth of information on manufactures, production dates, etc. Larry Fines piano book also has plenty of information on pianos quality, sizes, and models. The techs on this forum have been a great help to me, as I am sure they will be to you. I hope you enjoy rebuilding pianos and will join the gang here! (Now where can I find a free grand?)